The character of Mr. Brocklehurst in Jane Eyre (2011) is seen as a very unkind and resentful man. Mr. Brocklehurst is the supervisor of Lowood school, and as a man with higher power he is a very intimidating person to all of the students and is a man to be feared; his behavior of being intimidating to the students is entertaining to him. His character is a distinct contrast to Jane’s character and actually proves to be a factor in Jane’s determination throughout the story. He forces her to stand on a stool and forbids her of any food or water as a punishment and refers to her as a liar. While Jane stands on this stool, Mr. Brocklehurst forbids the other students to speak to her and “Withhold the hand of friendship and deny your love” to Jane while she stands on the stool. His behavior is driven by his perception of religion, that instilling fear into young ladies is what God would be proud of; this is a form of religious behavior that Jane rejects. In the reading of “Small Parts, Small Players Dossier of Screen”, the concept that “Holding the same facial or bodily posture to reveal different emotions that are only recognizable when placed in contrast with other images, including those from outside the film; working with the mechanisms of the medium’s public reputation in communicating expressions” (p.91). With the presence of Mr. Brocklehurst’s posture and physical image, it is able to distinguish his character and make him recognizable as a villainous character that reflects the controversial interpretations of religion and his way of establishing his power amongst the students. The character of Mr. Brocklehurst does not change throughout the length of the film, but his persistence of the character serves as a drive for Jane’s motivation to be optimistic and assertive.

 

Works Cited:

Fukunaga, Cary Joji, director. Jane Eyre. Universal Pictures, 2011.

Mathijs, E. “Referential Acting and the Ensemble Cast.” Screen, vol. 52, no. 1, 1 Mar. 2011, pp. 89–96, https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjq063. Accessed 16 June 2020.

Who is Profiling the Character?: Scott Taylor
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